EIGENMANN: THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF BRITISH GUIANA 43 



or genus occurring in the Mississippi valley was found in the catches. Here we 

 secured the only specimen, greatly mutilated, of the widely distributed Sy?nbran- 

 chus, and the young of many species of large fishes. Before starting for the sand- 

 bank I had an opportunity of securing a lau-lau, but in the hurry of getting off, 

 and on account of a momentary fit of penuriousness, I took only the head. 



On October third I returned to Wismar to make purchases for our trip to 

 Tumatumari, and incidentally arranged to have a creek "stopped." I returned to 

 Rockstone in the evening and sent Mr. Shideler to bring over the catch the next day 

 at 2 P.M. Among other things he brought the rare Rhamphichthys. It is a long- 

 snouted, sword-shaped, gymnotid eel. 



On October 4th I watched some of the natives dynamite about the Rockstone 

 stelling and packed most of our catch for shipment. 



In the work of enumeration, which has taken two full years since my return, 

 I find that Rockstone, where our fishing began so discouragingly, is the richest in 

 species of all the localities examined. This was no doubt due to the fact that con- 

 ditions for collecting were favorable. The water was low and we fished exhaustively 

 in a variety of places. No doubt many channel fishes living here we did not get. 

 Pseudoplaty stoma, Phractocephalus, and others, should be found there. Altogether 

 we got one hundred and thirty-three species, eighty-three of which were characins. 

 Of the one hundred and thirty-three species fourteen were not taken elsewhere: 

 1. Xenacara gymnorhynchus. 2. Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus 



3. Aphiocharax melanotics. 4. Aphyocharax erythrurus. 



5. Mcenkhausia megalops. 6. Hemigrammus iota. 



7. Hyphessobrycon rosaceus 8. Hyphessobrycon riddlei. 



9. Hyphessobrycon gracilis. 10. Phenacocharax hemigrammus. 



11. Acestrorhynchus nasutus. 12. Rivulus lanceolatus. 



13. Rivulus frenatus. 14. Crenicara punctulata. 



Some of these are known to have a very wide distribution. Number 2 for 

 instance, extends to Paraguay; Nos. 6 and 9 are found in the Amazon; No. 8 

 in the Orinoco. Others are known only from the specimen collected. A critical 

 examination of this list of uniques thus shows that these lists mean nothing except 

 what is on the surface. 



On Monday, the fifth of October, we started for Tumatumari, but on account 

 of various accidents to the boats we had to tie to the shore over night. Being 

 overtaken on the following day by another boat, we went on with it to Tumatumari. 

 which we reached at 7:00 P.M. I called on Mr. Edward Bovallius, the representa- 

 tive of the Essequibo Exploration Company, and on Mr. Brummel, one of the 

 government officers, and began seining on the following morning. 



